The year is just about over, which makes it the best time to look at all of the things that happened in 2018—and there was a lot.
With a couple common themes—data and strikes—here are the top five meeting news stories of the year that provide insight into the direction the industry is heading in 2019.
What Planners Are Saying About the Marriott & Hilton Commission Cuts
Marriott and Hilton announced commission cuts that impacted third-party planners, and several other hotel companies joined suit, sparking backlash across the country.
5 Things You Need to Know About GDPR
The European Union’s (EU) new General Data Protection Regulation went into effect on May 25, meaning that meeting planners who had meetings with attendees from the EU had to incorporate new precautions into how they collect and then use data.
Chicago Hotel Strike: What Can Meeting Planners Do?
Marriott hotel workers went on strike in several cities across the U.S., but it initially started in Chicago. Their demands? Better pay and protection from sexual harassment.
#MeToo: Majority of Women Meeting Planners Have Been Sexually Harassed
Speaking of sexual harassment, meeting planners voiced their concerns in the #MeToo era with a shocking revelation—that 56.4 percent of meeting planners had been sexually harassed at some point in their careers.
Marriott’s Data Breach Ignites Lawsuits, Reimbursements
Marriott revealed a major data breach that exposed personal data of an estimated 500 million guests. Just hours after the announcement, the hotel company was already facing two class-action lawsuits.
